Diverse early endobiotic coral symbiont assemblage from the Katian (Late Ordovician) of Baltica

Symbiotic interactions in the Ordovician of Baltica

“…Among tabulates, associations with cornulitids and possible polychaetes (i.e. Chaetosalpinx) are known (Vinn and Mõtus, 2012). Only three symbiotic associations between non-colonial animals, hosted by brachiopods (i.e.…”

“…Cornulites may have had additional protection against predators by being embedded within the heliolitid skeleton. The symbionts' influence on the host heliolitid is unknown, but it was likely parasitic as numerous embedded Cornulites would have reduced the feeding efficiency of the host coral (Vinn and Mõtus, 2012).…”

“…as with the trace fossil Chaetosalpinx) are embedded within a host heliolitid coral, with only their apertures free on the growth surface. The organisms that formed Chaetosalpinx may have had protection from predators through this embedment inside the coral skeleton (Vinn and Mõtus, 2012). According to Zapalski (2007Zapalski ( , 2011, this association may have been parasitic.…”

“…The Ordovician of Baltica has a relatively good record of certain and possible cases of symbiosis (Männil, 1959;Vinn and Mõtus, 2012;Vinn et al, 2014a, b). In this study we focus only on confirmed cases of symbiosis where the skeletal structures indicate that both organisms were growing together.…”

“…In this study we focus only on confirmed cases of symbiosis where the skeletal structures indicate that both organisms were growing together. Conulariids (Männil, 1959), cornulitids (Vinn and Mõtus, 2012) and possible polychaetes (Männil, 1959;Vinn, 2004Vinn, , 2005Vinn et al, 2014a,b) were common symbionts in bryozoans and tabulate corals of the Ordovician of Baltica.…”